Cumminga's role on the Warriors hasn't been stable enough so far, but that doesn't mean he can't play a key role in the Warriors' pursuit of the championship. NBA star Kevin O'Connor believes that Cumminga will become the X factor in the Warriors' championship race.
In last weekend's Warriors' loss to the Raptors, Cuminga made his first start. After the game, NBA star Kevin O'Connor compared Cumminga with the all-star planet Jaylen Brown. He thinks the 19-year-old Kuminga is a lot like Jaylen Brown as a young man.
"Cumminga reminds me of the young Jaylen Brown, just taller and stronger," O'Connor wrote earlier this week. Cumminga is only 19 years old and is the third youngest player in the NBA, but he has the strength and physique of a mature player that he uses to get into the paint. He would fly when he dunked. Like Brown, Cumminga must develop a steady three-pointer. But against the Raptors, he hit four three-pointers, fully demonstrating his potential as an all-around scorer. ”
Cumminga scored 26 points in a loss to the Raptors, shooting 9-of-15 and 4-of-6 from beyond the three-point line. However, he made 6 turnovers and was criticised by Kerr after the game. Compared to many of his rookies, Cumminga is still very young and he also lacks competition experience.
Usually, teams competing for the championship have a hard time holding 2 lotto shows, and both Cumminga and Moody have struggled to get long appearances this season. However, given the Warriors' huge luxury tax bill, a reliable contributor to a rookie contract has been very helpful in the competition this season and in sustaining the team for years to come.
There have been rumors that the Warriors will pay the lottery show in the lineup to trade a good big player, and Turner, Sabonis and Towns have all been the subject of scandal. But Kevin O'Connor has a different view. He specifically mentioned the Warriors' recent success in finding players as a reason to keep Cumminga in the rotation.
"Why didn't the Warriors bet on themselves? They have been exploring their talents lately. Jordan Poole excelled on the offensive end. Andrew Wiggins changed his mind about his talent. Gary Payton II is becoming an effective NBA player. Cumminga looks like the next," O'Connor wrote.
It remains to be seen how long it will take the 19-year-old Cuminga to reach that cap, but so far he has shown a lot of flashes in his first NBA season.